Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Can I continue a relationship with dp when he continues to prove that he lies?

90 replies

FarkingFalafel · 18/12/2020 08:57

I have known dp for a long time and we have been going out for 4 years. I have name changed for this. I have dc and he has dc but we have none together.

Dp is a great partner - he spent 3 days last week driving the ends of the country to pick up all my dc from university. He cooks all the meals, he takes care of most of the admin. I work FT (and am the breadwinner) and he runs his own business.

2 years into our relationship, I found out that dp had lied about some pretty significant things in his past. Nothing that would impact us or our future - but things like lying about how he broke up with someone, dates of relationships to make it look like he hadn't cheated, he lied about being estranged from his family, just a lot of lies and I only found out because someone else told me. We discussed it, he promised he wouldn't lie again and I thought that was that.

Coronavirus has been really tough on dp's business and he's not making anywhere near the money he's made the last few years. Because of that, he's been unable to contribute to the joint account (though he had fully contributed up to this point) and has actually been taking money out. I had a word with him about it - he owns a house with his exw that she was meant to have sold in 2018 but she didn't. It's none of my business but I feel that if he's essentially taking money from me because he has none, I'd rather he got the money from the house that he's actually entitled to. He said he was going to arrange a meeting. He went and saw her and came back and said they had visited 3 estate agents and she would make the final choice and it would soon be on the market. I said nothing more then a few months later, I asked how the sale was going and he said it was very quiet. I said ooh let's look at the listing and he said he wasn't sure who it was on with (at which point I knew something was up) and we looked on rightmove/zoopla and couldn't find it.

next week he says to me 'oh he knows why we couldn't find it, it was on purple bricks!' - i say great, let's see it. Of course, it's not on there.

Rather than him saying to me 'she won't sell it', he's continued with this ridiculous lie till the point this week where he needed to 'borrow' £2k from me and I put my foot down and he admitted that the house is not on the market and he'd have to see lawyers because she doesn't want to sell it.

So essentially he's been lying to me for months. This isn't the only thing, there are some tiny things too, really inconsequential things like when I went away to help care for an elderly relative and he told me that he'd managed to stay in bed because the dog slept later than normal yet I could see the dog had got up at his normal time (we have a dog cam), he just hadn't bothered to go down and let it out. This is an issue because I know dp doesn't bother to get up when the dog wants to go out for a wee in the morning (I usually do it) and I had asked him specifically to make sure he listened out for him.

I'm no demon, I don't start fights, this isn't about me being so difficult he needs to lie, I honestly think it's pathological. But my kids adore him, he does more for them than exh ever did - we get on so well, love the same things, are v happy together but I don't think I will ever be able to trust anything he says to me and I'm not sure I can continue any sort of relationship with someone I can't trust.

OP posts:
Branleuse · 18/12/2020 09:47

It does sound like hes got positive points, and can be kind, but hes also a liar, and I think thats a dealbreaker, as if you cant trust what he says, what have you even got? Hes clearly got an issue with conflict and will lie with a straight face to avoid even the minimum amount of mini conflict or demand, and it puts you in an incredibly awkward position. He needs to work on that as noone will put up with that for long. Its about trust isnt it

HollowTalk · 18/12/2020 09:48

Check on Zoopla to see when his house was last sold.

Bluntness100 · 18/12/2020 09:49

I couldn’t be doing with this, the lying, the taking money and not talking about it first, the crying when caught. Then blaming his mum. I don’t know how you find someone attractive who behaves like this, it would give me the proper ick.

However I suspect you’re also lying to him. I think you knew fine well the house wasn’t up for sale and instead of just confronting it immediately and being honest, you kinda dragged it out a bit.

Fundamentally you’ve both got a communication issue. Neither of you is particularly honest with the other. You more a sort of secretive way on your thoughts, him blatant out and out lies.

Overall it’s not a good relationship.

Wanderlusto · 18/12/2020 09:50

Not suggesting laziness on your part op, regarding admin. I'm saying that I wouldnt let a proven liar deal with all my important paperwork. Might be wise to check he has been paying the bills. And defo don't share a joint bank account!

FarkingFalafel · 18/12/2020 09:52

I've looked it up on the land registry - you can see who owns a property. But the fact that I even had to do that is telling....

OP posts:
FarkingFalafel · 18/12/2020 09:55

yes that's a fair point @wanderlusto!

tbh @Bluntness100 I did actually think the house was being sold! I totally believed him when he came back and said they had visited 3 estate agents (it's the detail he comes back and gives). I mean looking back on it, why create such a colourful bloody tale!

but then when he started to say it wasn't online, I thought maybe she was dragging her feet and then when he said he had to check the estate agents, I thought it was a bit odd but honestly right up to that point, I never actually thought he was lying about it being sold. I thought he might be lying about how quick the process was or the date it went on the market, but I never believed that it wasn't actually going to be sold right up to the point when I confronted him with why the fuck it was taking so long.

OP posts:
Seatime · 18/12/2020 09:55

Trust is a cornerstone of any healthy relationship and you don't have that. It is really weird that he lied about the house being for sale. This is not a little lie. He is taking money from you. It's not worth facilitating his lies to have meals cooked, sex etc? What will the lies be next year? It's escalating into dangerous territory for you and your children, if he bankrupts you

FarkingFalafel · 18/12/2020 09:57

I do think we have an issue now though @Bluntness100 because now I am second guessing everything he says. Up to this shit with the house, I had given him the benefit of the doubt. Now my assumption is everything is a lie until it's proven it isn't and I don't think that can last.

OP posts:
GoldenOmber · 18/12/2020 10:00

My ex once told me he’d bought us some new curtains. Told me the shop he’d got them from, the colour, the fabric, really loads of detail. I hadn’t expected him to do that but was pleased he had because the old ones were so tatty.

He hadn’t. And when I challenged him about it because I could not grasp why he would lie about that, just WHY, he couldn’t even really explain why, just “I thought it would make you happy if we had new curtains.” The bit where we didn’t actually have new curtains was less important to him than getting to say something in the moment that he thought would make me pleased with him.

He also lied about a ton of more serious things, including money, but it’s the smaller lies that I think were more revealing. I have known other compulsive liars since and it’s the same with them: it’s like lying is the default setting, and telling the truth is something you only do in unusual circumstances.

You could probably talk to him about it and get him to sound sad and reflect on his childhood and say he’d get counselling. But could you really trust him to do a lot of hard work reflecting on his overall approach to life, if you can’t even trust him to tell you when the dog woke up?

Thespidersweb · 18/12/2020 10:02

she also feels he's emotionally cold, I can't say I have concerns about either)

This is really telling. He is caoable of being emotionally cold. I’d I’d bet money on it it’s when she started seeing him for who he is. I’ve experienced the exact same thing. - lovely warm bloke who rubbed my feet to some one who stonewalled me for three weeks because I caught him out in a lie.

You are not ready to leave yet as your finding excuses for him. I did the same. But there will be a day when the rose tinted glasses fall off.

IdblowJonSnow · 18/12/2020 10:02

I had an ex who used to lie about crazy things. Some major and some minor. Sometimes I think the truth was a pretty hazy concept for him! I left him in the end as i just couldn't trust him any more. Much of it was money related.

The details show a lot of thought has gone into his lies which is worrying.

oldshoeuk · 18/12/2020 10:02

What would I do personally? Well I would keep him, fool that I am!

He seems great in so many areas, the lying seems to be a lack of confidence and ego. I imagine a man who is quite happy to fight dragons, but he's petrified of getting muddy shoes on your carpet. As a result he lies to avoid disappointing you. In fact he would do almost anything to avoid your disappointment.

He's not lazy, unloving or selfish, in fact he's a lot of great things. What he lacks is an ability to take on his ex and an ability to accept making you angry. Yes I'm looking at his mother relationship too.

What would I do? I would throw buckets full of praise when appropriate and build his ego where I could. In my experience this will take years, but I think if you come together as a team you look forward to happy years together. Make a start by teaming up on the ex and solving this together.

ReggaePerrin · 18/12/2020 10:04

he actually gets really upset when we get to talk about it - not 'fake' upset but real genuine upset. He's sat there crying his eyes out

Mine did that, he would cry for hours. They were real tears, but for himself. He also had issues with his mother/upbringing.

I think you're wise to second guess everything he says, OP. It's horrible once you realise what a conmen he is but you need to do whatever you can to keep yourself and your children safe now Flowers

firecracker69 · 18/12/2020 10:06

He has told some huge lies and sure there'll be many more you've yet to discover. The lying by omission (regarding his previous relationships) is bad enough on its own. Would he have ever told you about it had you not found out?

Men like this rarely change, they just continue to tell lies for "easy life." My ex was a weak, spineless bastard who admitted he'd lied for pretty much 50 years!

Veterinari · 18/12/2020 10:12

Sounds like my ex

He was so averse to confrontation that he lied constantly. When he couldn't lie his way out of a situation he ran away. Anything to avoid an actual discussion.

Shame because he was otherwise supportive, generous kind etc but fundamentally untrustworthy

wowfudge · 18/12/2020 10:16

Sounds like my exH. He lied about having filed divorce papers, where he lived, that he was in another relationship. I didn't give a stuff about any of it apart from he delayed us getting divorced for about a year because he was an idle arse. It's not worth torturing yourself with the why. I'd just lay it on the line to him that you don't tolerate lying and enough's enough.

Badbackbernie · 18/12/2020 10:17

You want to be careful you havnt landed yourself a sociopath.

They can be very very caring and loving and quite capable of loving the right people until it doesn’t suit them.

I’d imagine if you look through your relationship there will be many many odd things that didn’t stack up.

Normally when people hate lying they give as little information about the lie because it’s going against their instinct.

When people go in to great detail about the lie it’s because they are enjoying it and it gives them power of daft little you.

Techway · 18/12/2020 10:30

Op, he seems to have some understanding of why he lies but since is a psychological defense mechanism he can't change it by wishing it wasn't the case....only he knows if he can do the work. Essentially when an issue arises he needs to be able to stop, process the strong emotions and evaluate options. If he lies it gives him a quick way out from dealing with the negative emotions but long term impacts on his relationship with you.
However the more he lies (and is caught out) then the less self esteem he will have so he will lie even more.

Defense mechanisms, like lying protects him from acknowledging who he really is.. could be image management, he is lazier than he wants to be so tells a lie over the dog. He is conflict avoidant so lies over selling the house.

Do you think he is emotionally intelligent to take on board the change needed? It's ultimately about him accepting who he really is and not the false person that lying temporarily provides.

Counselling could help as could get a safe place where he can he truly honest about the reasons he lies...however he has to be capable of insight, find a good therapist (which isn't easy) and be very motivated to change.

I genuinely don't think many people can change once they have reached middle age as it's just so ingrained though...it's equivalent to an addiction, you have to be on your guard for life.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 18/12/2020 10:38

You are not a rehab center for a badly raised man

I do not think that you or he should be together any longer because of his pathological lying. Also tears from such types are designed to tug at the heartstrings

AttilaTheMeerkat · 18/12/2020 10:40

He did not put in the necessary work re counselling with his ex wife and he has not fundamentally changed since. If there is no trust there is no relationship

PurpleMustang · 18/12/2020 10:40

I would at least protect yourself financially as it is likely you dont know all the lies. And as someone else said are you sure all the bills are being paid. I would at least have 3 accounts, one each and a joint. All the bills come out of the joint but he doesn't have access to take anything out of it. And when he is earning again he can add money in as before but for now you it would just be you. And make sure he doesn't have access to your personal one.

Valkadin · 18/12/2020 10:41

My younger sister can cry on cue in a rather amazing way. She used to do it to beg in the street and also pretend I had done something as she knew I would get a beating. He sounds really manipulative.

He sounds absolutely awful as a partner. I could never trust a word he said over something small or large. Plus it’s just cruel not letting an animal out. As soon as I found out about the lies around the house sale he would have been out the door.

Santaisironingwrappingpaper · 18/12/2020 10:44

Revalue your worth op..
Today.
I caught my dh out on a lie.

I would say as significant as the ones you have been fed about finances.
I found out on a Sunday.
Threw him out on the Monday.
Filed for divorce the same week.
You can ask your dp to stop lying. He will say he will..
How can you believe him when his lies just roll off his tongue?

Techway · 18/12/2020 10:52

Op, at a minimum he can't be a partner for you..as in have joint lives and responsibilities as he just isn't in a place to be honest. It is sad but you alone can't heal him. It's unlikely he can heal himself so your choice is to accept he will lie or start a process where you are not so reliant on him as you can't trust him.

Natsel84 · 18/12/2020 10:54

I maybe wrong but, I know you say your husband and his ex own the house together , but are you sure his names not just in the house for convenience. For example as she already given him money for say his half of the house and he's just on it for her to get a mortgage etc ?

I mean if it was me I would want to get rid of a house shared with an ex ASAP to free money up. Something doesn't add up .

Do you get on OK with his ex ? Could you broach the subject somehow with her?

Swipe left for the next trending thread